New Delhi: The presence of HRD Minister MM Pallam Raju at the Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) meeting here on October 10 is mired in uncertainty as he has submitted his resignation and refused to join office.
CABE, the highest decision making body on education in the country, is chaired by the HRD Minister, with state education ministers, academicians and other experts as members.

The meeting is expected to deliberate on a crucial report on national mission on teachers and teaching and an update on the mid-day meal programme. Sources said the Raju`s absence could hamper the meeting from arriving at any concrete proposals on these issues.

Officials in the Ministry, however, did not rule out the possibility of one of the ministers of states -- Jitin Prasada or Shashi Tharoor -- chairing the meeting.

Raju has not turned up in his office ever since he tendered his resignation over Telengana creation.

While he is staying put in his official residence, officials are chairing meetings on his behalf, as was the case today when the higher education secretary chaired a meeting with the principals of autonomous colleges.

Several of his official engagements have been cancelled for the next two days, one of the staff in his office said.

They were not sure whether he would attend a programme at the Rashtrapati Bhawan on Wednesday where the President would confer awards on Tamil scholars.

Raju along with four other ministers from the Seemandhra region had today met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh requesting him to accept their resignations but got no assurance.